LOS ANGELES, Calif. – For LMU men’s soccer, the match-up with Sacramento State has proven to be one of heartache and for the third consecutive year it has followed suit. The Lions fall in overtime to the Hornets, 1-0, in the season opener for both teams at Sullivan Field Saturday afternoon.
 
Chris Bettencourt took a feed from Bryan Baker just four minutes into overtime and put it over the outstretched arms of Lion goalie Jack McCormack. It is the third straight match-up between the two that the Hornets have taken by a count of 1-0.
 
“The hope is that this will be the best thing for us this season,” said Head Coach Paul Krumpe. “They came in here having already played a pair of exhibition games and this was our first. You would like to come in here with all the bugs worked out but we didn’t. We did some good things, but we didn’t score. Showed us what we have to work on. We know what we have to work on and will get better”
 
It was a physical battle one would expect for a match-up that has developed into a good one. The teams combined for nine yellowcards, nine for Sacramento State, and 26 fouls, 15 for the Hornets.
 
The game also had plenty of chances to end in regulation. The Lions finished with 17 shots to Sacramento State’s eight, and had 11 corner kicks to the Hornets six.
 
The game’s first scoring chance was created by a quick decision by junior David Ponce just 10 minutes in. The Lions cleared and the ball took a high bounce that favored the Lions. Ponce took the bounce, saw the keeper was playing up and hit a high shot the keeper had no chance at. However, the ball went wide left.
 
The Lions were aggressive early with a pair of corner kicks and a pair of free kicks deep in Sacramento State’s defensive end in the first 15 minutes.
 
They would continue to push.
 
One of the best chances for the Lions came at the 16-minute mark. The Lions drew the Hornet goalie out of position on perfect passes from Ponce and Artur Jozkowicz. Phil Da Silva took the ball on the left side of the box, but his shot to the lower right corner was saved by a Hornet defender.
 
Da Silva was at it again at the 26th minute, taking the ball at midfield and drilling a shot low right. Hornets’ goalie Cesar Castillo made a diving save to keep the game scoreless.
 
Sacramento State had their best opportunity of the first half when Gabriel Silveira drilled a shot in the 28th minute that LMU goalie Jack McCormack had to make a diving save of his own, diving to his left and knocking the ball high.
 
The Lions would end the half with one more rush as Ponce delivered a cross to Jonas Reiter in the box, but his header was high.
 
LMU would finish the first half with six corner kicks to Sacramento State’s four, and eight shots to the Hornet’s four.
 
It would be more of the same in the second half as the Lion stayed aggressive. In the 53rd minute, a header by Kyle Johanson on a cross by Logan McDaniel just missed. McDaniel had another opportunity on a free kick from Tyler Krumpe in the 55th minute, but Castillo was once again there.
 
Bettencourt started to give the Lions trouble in the 68th minute on a shot that was high after a corner kick. He had another opportunity in the 69th minute, but that shot missed left. Then in the 74th minute he was alone at the top of the box, but the shot sailed high.
 
Then in the 77th minute the Lions look to have scored on a corner kick but a foul was called prior to the header by Johanson, keeping the game at 0-0.
 
LMU had one last chance in the final seconds, as Connor Hunsicker served Krumpe at top of the box and his shot just missed high as the buzzer sound five seconds later.
 
The Lions head to Tulsa for a pair of games next weekend, taking on Oral Roberts on Sept. 1 and then Tulsa on Sept. 4.